In dynamic semiconductor memory storage devices it is essential that the storage node capacitor retain an adequate charge or capacitance in spite of parasitic capacitances and noise that may be present during circuit operation. As is the case for most semiconductor integrated circuitry, circuit density is continuing to increase at a fairly constant rate. The issue of maintaining storage node capacitance is particularly important as the density of DRAM arrays continue to increase for future generations of memory devices.
The ability to densely pack storage cells while maintaining required storage capabilities is a crucial requirement of semiconductor manufacturing technologies if future generations of expanded memory array devices are to be successfully manufactured.
One method of maintaining, as well as increasing, storage node capacitance in densely packed memory devices is through the use of "stacked storage cell" design. With this technology, two layers of conductive material, such as polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon or poly) are deposited over an access device on a silicon wafer with a dielectric layer sandwiched between each poly layer. A cell constructed in this manner is known as a stacked capacitor cell (STC). Such a cell utilizes the space over the access device for capacitor plates, has a low soft error rate (SER) and may be used in conjunction with inter-plate insulative layers having a high dielectric constant.
However, it is difficult to obtain sufficient storage capacitance with a conventional STC capacitor as the storage electrode area is confined within the limits of its own cell area. Also, maintaining high dielectric breakdown characteristics between poly layers in the STC capacitor becomes a major concern once insulator thickness is appropriately scaled.
A paper submitted by Reza Moazzami et al., entitled "A Ferroelectric DRAM Cell for High-Density NVRAM's," IEEE ELECTRONIC DEVICE LETTERS, Vol. 11, No. 10, October 1990, pp. 455-456, herein incorporated by reference, discusses the use of a PZT ferroelectric material as a cell dielectric in a planar capacitor.
As discussed on pp. 455 in section B. DRAM Mode, a PZT ferroelectric material has been used as the storage cell's dielectric film. As stated and shown in FIG. 3a, pp. 455, very little degradation was observed in the small-signal capacitance after 10.sup.10 read/write cycles.
The PZT ferroelectric material has a high dielectric constant very favorable for use as a storage cell dielectric, but as discussed in this article PZT has only been used experimentally in planar storage capacitors. The present invention employs using PZT ferroelectric for the storage cell dielectric in three-dimensional stacked capacitor technology and develops an existing stacked capacitor fabrication process to construct a PZT three-dimensional stacked capacitor cell that will allow denser storage cell fabrication with minimal increases of overall memory array dimensions.